lost ball and dropping a ball question

[logo]

When I am playing with friends I usually look for my ball for a few minutes. If I do not find it I simply drop a ball around where I am looking (in bounds of course) and take a penalty stroke for the drop. Is this correct? I am reading in the rules that I should technically be going back and rehitting the shot but I am not sure I can do this due to lack of time, people waiting on the tee, etc. So am I cheating my self/score? What do you all do in this situation.

[jmanbooyaa]

@logo I think you hit the nail on the head. I don't think it is reasonable to think you would be able to go back to the tee box. I of course defer to the rules buffs on this site but non the less if this is the case of having to re-tee it up I doubt it would go over real well on the course. I hope u get an actual answer I just found the question you asked to be very true

[Club Rat]

You should have hit a provisional when you have an errant shot and the possibility of losing the ball.

Since you did not, the correct thing would be going back to the point which the shot was played.

Going back usually makes the group behind become disgruntled, and could cause delay to all other golfers, also.

Since it's just a round with your friends, drop and play on.

Now that you know the ruling and you are wanting to play by the rules, you'll know what to do.

Also, you can direct rules questions under "rules" on this site.

Club Rat

[joekelly]

We play 'it's your choice'. Either go back and hit again, or take 2 penalty strokes and drop ball where thought to be lost.  We do not accept ONE penalty stroke in this case.

Rules indicate either provisional from initial spot or walk back.

[dkolo]

When I am playing with friends I usually look for my ball for a few minutes. If I do not find it I simply drop a ball around where I am looking (in bounds of course) and take a penalty stroke for the drop. Is this correct? I am reading in the rules that I should technically be going back and rehitting the shot but I am not sure I can do this due to lack of time, people waiting on the tee, etc. So am I cheating my self/score? What do you all do in this situation.

The answer is no, this is not correct. As mentioned in another post, you should hit a provisional ball if you feel that your first shot might not be found or be in bounds. Google it or search the site for more details, but basically you declare a second shot a provisional and you get to play that one if your first doesn't turn up in play. Saves you from having to walk back and re-tee. Mind you, if you find your first, you must play it, and if you do play your provisional, you're playing your 4th shot from wherever you're hitting it (First shot, penalty stroke, provisional tee shot).

If you're playing very casually and just eyeballing a final score (not posting for handicap or playing against someone for money / tournament, whatever), and you didn't hit a provisional because you thought your first would be fine but now it's lost or snuck OB, then you can drop where "it should have been found" and assess yourself two penalty strokes to account for having to have rehit it. This is if you don't want to go back and retee. But mind you, this is just an informal way of doing it; it's not by the rules at all. It's just a better approximation if you're just looking to keep playing.

[Nicky22]

Hi, the main thing is that your playing partners play by the same rules. If you are pushed for time and can not go back to the last place you played from and your ball is not deemed to have been lost in a hazard then stroke and distance (2 shots)  should be the case I believe and one for a hazard. BUT enjoy the game and play the same rules as your playing partners. I played a guy last year that had a "play it 'till you like it" rule where he hit 5 tee shots on the first tee until he "liked" one.

After all we are supposed to enjoy the game.

If playing Competition golf then i don't think you have  a choice and must go back and play from the tee or best recollection of where you played from last.

If you think you may have trouble finding a ball before you go look for it take a provisional shot after informing your playing partners, that can save time too.

[dkolo]

Hi, the main thing is that your playing partners play by the same rules. If you are pushed for time and can not go back to the last place you played from and your ball is not deemed to have been lost in a hazard then stroke and distance (2 shots)  should be the case I believe and one for a hazard. BUT enjoy the game and play the same rules as your playing partners. I played a guy last year that had a "play it 'till you like it" rule where he hit 5 tee shots on the first tee until he "liked" one.

After all we are supposed to enjoy the game.

If playing Competition golf then i don't think you have  a choice and must go back and play from the tee or best recollection of where you played from last.

If you think you may have trouble finding a ball before you go look for it take a provisional shot after informing your playing partners, that can save time too.

Provisionals are the way to go, no doubt. I hit a bunch of them each round. Only time that I wouldn't hit one in a dicey situation would be if I didn't happen to have a second ball on me and my cart was a long ways away. Otherwise, just hit provisionals any time you lose sight of the ball not going into a hazard, within reason. Best case, you've wasted an extra 15 seconds and you partners just pick it up for you. Worst case, you have to actually play it but you've saved yourself a walk of shame back to the tee or prevented yourself from not having a valid score.

The only time I get into trouble with not having hit a provisional is if it's the fall and there's leaves everywhere and you might lose a ball a foot off the fairway if it's bad enough with the leaves. But then you have the leaf rule (or the "leaf rule," depending on your local rules and you feelings about that whole issue) to fall back on.

[logo]

Gotcha. Thanks guys. I will start just hitting two shots, which makes sense and then take the penalty strokes. If I have to drop I will also take the 2 strokes.

[dkolo]

Gotcha. Thanks guys. I will start just hitting two shots, which makes sense and then take the penalty strokes. If I have to drop I will also take the 2 strokes.

Just, as I said, do some research into the rules for provisionals.

Two quick and dirty points to know is

1) You have to say "Provisional" or something to that effect to your partners, or else it's just considered your third shot and it's in play

2) You can't hit a provisional if the ball may have gone into a hazard; you have to proceed under the hazard rules.

[Aguirre]

My group does it like this:

1) If your tee shot was hit into an area where it could be lost, you hit a provisional.

2) If your tee shot was hit into an area where is should be found, we don't bother hitting a provisional.

If we can't find the ball in situation (1), and you didn't hit a provisional, your ass is out of the hole (we generally do match play) or you're out of all competitions in stroke play.  Pay up.

If we can't find the ball in situation (2) because of leaves, high rough, ball hawks, whatever, we give a free drop but nothing too friendly.  In other words, if we're in the general area where the ball should be and there's a gap between trees, you don't get to drop there.  Get behind a tree.

[joekelly]

Even under remote circumstances, like 'maybe the ball is under a leaf' and you can only see 3 leaves per fairway, you can hit a provisional.  It's a sneaky way to get a second 'practice' stroke with the driver.  Some may argue 'poor  sportsmanship' but within the rules, IMO.

[Aguirre]

Even under remote circumstances, like 'maybe the ball is under a leaf' and you can only see 3 leaves per fairway, you can hit a provisional.  It's a sneaky way to get a second 'practice' stroke with the driver.  Some may argue 'poor  sportsmanship' but within the rules, IMO.

Yahbut time.

[vangator]

The groups I play in don't hit provisional very often. If it's lost, drop a ball where you honestly think it's lost. One stroke, as in unplayable lie. I tell the people I'm with that the pros have hundreds of people watching where their balls go. It's seldom they can't find a ball. Why should we be penalized because we don't have hundreds of people helping us look? Particularly when it's hit in a place where a ball shouldn't be lost. I'm selective in my cheating. Mostly to speed up play. If it were an important match, by all means the rules should be followed. I very seldom lose a ball, but last time out I did. I hit a drive into the rough where it should easily have been found. The area was very wet and the ball probably plugged. I dropped and did count a penalty stroke, but I didn't walk 250 yards back to the tee while others were waiting. Not sure of the rule on plugged balls in the rough. Is it a free drop in the rough like the fairway?

[bkuehn1952]

Not sure of the rule on plugged balls in the rough. Is it a free drop in the rough like the fairway?

The Rules allow free relief for balls plugged in "closely mown" areas (i.e. the fairway).  The PGA Tour uses a Local Rule to allow relief from plugged balls "through the green" (i.e. everywhere except within hazards).

I feel a bit of an outlaw for discussing Rules outside the Rules forum.   ;)

[dkolo]

The groups I play in don't hit provisional very often. If it's lost, drop a ball where you honestly think it's lost. One stroke, as in unplayable lie. I tell the people I'm with that the pros have hundreds of people watching where their balls go. It's seldom they can't find a ball. Why should we be penalized because we don't have hundreds of people helping us look? Particularly when it's hit in a place where a ball shouldn't be lost. I'm selective in my cheating. Mostly to speed up play.

If it were an important match, by all means the rules should be followed.

I very seldom lose a ball, but last time out I did. I hit a drive into the rough where it should easily have been found. The area was very wet and the ball probably plugged. I dropped and did count a penalty stroke, but I didn't walk 250 yards back to the tee while others were waiting. Not sure of the rule on plugged balls in the rough. Is it a free drop in the rough like the fairway?

You're not being penalized for not having a gallery the same way they're not being penalized because people take pictures during their swings and distract them. It is what it is. If you can't find the ball where it should be, just like if you land in a divot or behind a tree, them's the breaks. I'd at least put down two strokes. One of the big tenets of the unplayable lie is finding and identifying your ball, which is why you see on TV a caddy climbing a tree or a camera zooming in on the ball to find the word "TIGER" on it. I don't think you could say Tiger benefited from playing in an HD TV era because they could ID the ball via zoom since the tree was unclimbable (see, eg, 2013 Masters).

[ColinL]

Just, as I said, do some research into the rules for provisionals.

Two quick and dirty points to know is

1) You have to say "Provisional" or something to that effect to your partners, or else it's just considered your third shot and it's in play

2) You can't hit a provisional if the ball may have gone into a hazard; you have to proceed under the hazard rules.

May I tidy this up a bit just to be clear, because you can play a provisional even if your ball may have gone into a water hazard.  The Rule is clear: you can play a provisional ball if your ball might be lost outside a water hazard.  That implies that it could  be in the water hazard. The point is if you are not sure and there is a possibility the ball might be outside the water hazard you can play a provisional.  It is only if you know or are virtually certain that the ball is in the water hazard that you are not allowed to play a provisional.  This rule applies only to water hazards.

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vangator

The groups I play in don't hit provisional very often. If it's lost, drop a ball where you honestly think it's lost. One stroke, as in unplayable lie. I tell the people I'm with that the pros have hundreds of people watching where their balls go. It's seldom they can't find a ball. Why should we be penalized because we don't have hundreds of people helping us look? Particularly when it's hit in a place where a ball shouldn't be lost. I'm selective in my cheating. Mostly to speed up play.

If it were an important match, by all means the rules should be followed.

If you want to be treated like a pro, become a pro.  This is probably the poorest excuse I see used for not playing by the rules.  You are receiving the same treatment as anyone else does on the course, on that day.  That's all that matters under the rules.

Quote:

I very seldom lose a ball, but last time out I did. I hit a drive into the rough where it should easily have been found. The area was very wet and the ball probably plugged. I dropped and did count a penalty stroke, but I didn't walk 250 yards back to the tee while others were waiting. Not sure of the rule on plugged balls in the rough. Is it a free drop in the rough like the fairway?

It's not a free drop anywhere unless you find the ball.  You can't assume that a ball is embedded just because you can't find it.  As to relief, the Rules state that it must be in closely mowed grass, fairway height or shorter.  The PGA Tour enacts the local rule to expand this to include through the green, which extends the relief to the rough as well.

This is one rule that I feel should be amended so that the local rule is unnecessary.  This rule is the only place in the rule book where the term "fairway" is used, but that word is never defined in the rule book, leaving it open to interpretation.  The rules usually go out of their way to eliminate such loopholes, so I find this usage to be inconsistent with their usual philosophy.  I really can't see why the governing bodies wouldn't just extend the rule to encompass the entire course outside of bunkers and water hazards for the sake of simplicity.

[ColinL]

My understanding - though I can't remember where I got it from - is that the USGA would have relief from an embedded ball through the green as a standard Rule but that the R&A; is resistant because of a view of the traditional nature of the game.  The option of a Local Rule is a compromise.

If anyone can help with a reference to support this, I'd appreciate it.